Caring Is Creepy
by widget29
Summary: Wally and Robin grow up a little...
1. I Think I'll Go Home and Mull This Over

**Author's notes: First time posting a chaptered fic :P This story's mostly an exploration of Robin/Wally's relationship. Not overtly slash. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice, DC characters, etc. The titles are from The Shins' song "Caring Is Creepy".**

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Caring is Creepy

Chapter 1: I Think I'll Go Home and Mull This Over

"Dude, am I awesome or what?" Wally threw himself into his chair in the bioship with all the grace his injuries would allow him. Stretching out his legs and lacing his hands behind his head, he felt that nice, relaxed, satisfied feeling of a mission well-done spreading throughout his body. Not only had they gotten to face a super cool villain, but they had beaten him all thanks to Wally.

Best night ever.

Kaldur sighed as he settled into his own seat—the telltale sign that he was fighting a losing battle for patience. "For the hundredth time—yes, you are awesome and we are eternally grateful to you for saving us all. Happy?"

"Well, I could've done without the sarcasm, but I'll take it. That's how generous I'm feeling." He grinned to himself, waiting for the snide comment from his right. When nothing came, he glanced over to his younger friend.

Robin's arms were crossed over his chest and he was staring straight ahead, seemingly lost in thought. Wally frowned, his good mood damaged slightly. He didn't like to be ignored. And Robin had that especially annoying way of ignoring him. Most people couldn't block Wally out; he was able to get under anyone's skin and was proud of it. He loved to see that tired look on people's faces or that roll of the eyes as they tried to pretend they didn't hear whatever stupid comment he had made. But when Robin ignored you it was like he completely forgot you existed. Like he had to work to remember you were alive and if he let his concentration slip, he would forget you completely.

Wally leaned over and nudged Robin roughly with his elbow. "Feel free to join in the praise, Rob."

Robin's eyes slid over to him, and Wally couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he sensed his friend's annoyance. "You're awfully quiet. What's wrong? Is our little Boy Wonder all tuckered out from his long day out?"

"More like tired from listening to your stupid voice all night. Do you _ever_ shut up?" Robin hissed. As far as Robin-insults went, this one was lacking in creativity and slightly more vicious than usual. It caught Wally off-guard. But he was more curious than insulted and soon found himself studying Robin's profile out of the corner of his eye.

There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him at first. But as Wally continued to watch him, he noticed that although Robin seemed to be crossing his arms casually, the hands that were tucked against his sides were fisted tightly and the muscles in his arms were tense—clear signs of discomfort.

Wally was suddenly very decidedly _not_ in a good mood. Robin was hiding something. _Again_. And judging from the unusually rough beating he had taken tonight, Wally guessed it was an injury—or several_._

He continued to watch as Robin began to fiddle with the communicator on his wrist.

"What're you doing?"

"Calling Batman," the younger boy said distractedly.

"Why?" But before Robin even had the chance to properly ignore him, Batman's voice cut in.

"Robin." Batman's voice was cool and detached, and Wally wondered for the millionth time how he and bright, animated Robin made such a perfect team. "What is it?"

"I need to talk to you." Robin's face was tight and the words came out all in a rush.

There was a long pause. Then, "Where on you?"

"On our way back to the hideout."

"I'm sending a someone to pick you up. They'll meet you at Mount Justice in half an hour."

There was no question in Batman's voice, but Robin responded as if there had been. "I'll be fine. See you in a bit." He let his head fall back against his seat as he hung up.

Wally caught Kaldur's eye, and realized he had also surmised something was wrong. The three of them and Speedy had known each other for a long time, and they were no strangers to Robin's methods of hiding things.

"You're going back to Gotham?" Superboy asked, genuine curiosity lacing his voice. They were used to Robin disappearing, but it was always for a mission and never on a whim.

"Just for a few days." Robin's arms tightened across his chest again as he spoke.

_Until he's healed enough to hide his injuries_, Wally thought bitterly. He was generally very good at dealing with Robin's secrecy. But the longer they were friends, the more it stung knowing Robin continued not to trust him.

Wally scuffed his feet on the floor moodily.

Worst night ever.

O*O*O*O

The desk was smooth and cool against Robin's cheek, and it helped ease the pain as he took several deep, slow breaths. Cracked ribs were the worst. Inhaling felt like a knife was being stabbed in his side, and he had been holding in a sneeze for the last three hours for fear of the pain it would cause him. And being in school was making everything worse.

Robin took another deep breath and sat up to look at the board again. He was Dick Grayson now. And Dick Grayson did not have to worry about injuries from fighting crime as a masked vigilante. All he had to worry about was tests, projects, and staying awake through assemblies.

He resisted the urge to tap his pen on his desk. Dick Grayson was also a model student. He always paid attention in class and never looked bored or restless. Robin began to studiously copy notes from the board, trying if only for a few minutes to care about what he was writing.

A buzzing in his pocket caused his pencil to stop for a moment. There was only one person who texted him in school…

Robin took notes furiously and did _not_ think about the message waiting on his phone.

After a few minutes, his phone buzzed again. And again.

Robin's pencil creaked, threatening to break as his grip tightened. _The difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells is…_

On the fourth buzz, Robin finally gave up and pulled out his cell. The girl next to him shot him a scandalized look as he held his phone under the desk where the teacher couldn't see it. He pointedly ignored her and flipped through his messages.

_dude did hitler invade poland or russia first?  
From: KF  
Time: 11:13 am_

_never mind i remembered. hey when was d day?  
From: KF  
Time: 11:17 am_

_it was in july or something right?  
From: KF  
Time: 11:18 am_

_hellloooo? dude help me!  
From: KF  
Time: 11:18 am_

Robin sighed and texted back: _D-Day was June 6, 1944. And stop cheating on your history test._

_test? what test? these are just things i wanna know for fun. whats fascism?_

_A popular shoe brand in Italy._

_oh haha_

"Mr. Grayson." Robin nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard his name.

"Um, yes, sir?"

"Could you write the stages of cell division on the board for us, please?"

Robin let out a breath. "Um, sure." He crammed his cell phone back in his pocket as he made his way up to the front of the classroom. He quickly wrote the name of each phase on the board in small, neat handwriting, earning himself a nod and a smile from his teacher.

Robin slipped back into his seat and pulled out his cell again once the teacher turned back to the board.

_ugh ran out of time. probably failed that stupid test_, Wally's next text read.

Intelligence was generally a good thing, but it was practically a character flaw in Wally. Not only did it empower him to be extremely good at annoying people, but it also made him incredibly lazy when it came to schoolwork. Robin was surprised the older boy passed his classes at all.

Wally's next message followed before Robin had a chance to send a reply.

_how are you feeling?_

Robin stared at the words on the screen. Well that was…unexpected. He hadn't realized that Wally knew he was hurt. He thought he'd covered it up pretty well. Then again, Wally had always been surprisingly clever at the worst of times. Robin crossed his arms self-consciously, thinking of the bandages hidden under his shirt.

_Fine. Why?_

Wally took a little longer to respond this time.

_no reason_

Robin was suddenly feeling very uncomfortable with this conversation.

_Look, I can't talk now. I'm in class. I'll see you back at the hideout in a few days._

_you better bring me a souvenir_

_We'll see how nice I feel._


	2. All These Squawking Birds Won't Quit

**Author's Notes: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed/faved! :D It was very encouraging to know that people actually read and enjoy this haha. Lots of Wally/Robin fluff in this chapter (which you can take as friendship or slash). As much as I love the angst, I didn't want to neglect this side of their relationship :)  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice, DC characters, etc. The titles are from The Shins' song "Caring Is Creepy"**

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Caring is Creepy

Chapter 2: All These Squawking Birds Won't Quit

"Yo, Rob! Time to get up!" Wally shouted in a cheery tone as he barged into his teammate's room. He loved being the one to wake Robin up when they stayed over at Mount Justice. There was nothing the younger boy hated as much as the morning sun, and he was always foul and crabby just after he woke up. Wally could not describe how fun it was to torture a cranky, half-awake Robin.

Wally shivered as a wave of cold hit him. It was _freezing_ in here. How could Robin stand it? He leaned over his younger friend, who was sleeping curled up on his side. He rolled his eyes as he saw the familiar dark glasses on Robin's face. The kid didn't even relax while he was sleeping. Batman would be so proud.

"Roooobiiin!" Wally sang loudly, shaking him roughly. Robin gave a loud, irritable grunt and shrugged him off.

"Ro—" Wally paused as he reached out to shake Robin again. An idea was forming in his mind—a deliciously evil idea. A grin broke out on his face, and he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He'd just let Robin sleep for a little longer while he worked…

Wally rushed around the room, dragging furniture from place to place as quickly and quietly as possible. Robin was going to be pissed. He had his nice little personal boundaries and rules that included not prying into his life, not bothering him while he was working on his laptop, and most importantly _not touching his things_. Wally tried his best to break these rules as often as possible. On good days he could manage to ignore all three of them.

He examined his work one last time before stepping back into the hallway. He crouched down low, setting himself up carefully, making sure he had his aim just right and… three… two… one—

He set off at a neck-breaking speed, hurtling into the air as he crossed back into Robin's room. He screamed a battle cry as he flew across the room and landed on Robin's bed. The younger boy was launched into the air, making a sound like a distressed cat. He bounced once on his bed and landed on the ground with a loud thump.

Wally leaned over the edge of the bed to observe his handiwork. Robin's face was priceless. His sunglasses had flown off at some point during his flight, and Wally could fully appreciate the look of shock and confusion frozen on his friend's face.

"Hahaha! You—you should see your face!" Wally cried with glee, and he laughed so hard his stomach began to ache. He was able to get in a good minute or so of triumphant laughter before a low growl from the floor warned him that Phase 2 of his master plan was about to begin.

"_Wallyyy_." He leapt off the bed, narrowly avoiding Robin as the kid lunged for him. Dodging furniture nimbly, he spun around at the doorway to grin widely at his furious friend.

"Not so quick in the morning, huh, Rob?"

He could practically hear Robin's teeth grinding together. He started towards Wally again, but the rearranged furniture was too much for his half-asleep mind to handle. Wally could hear loud bangs and cursing from his friend's room as he shot off down the hallway, cackling like mad.

Robin was out of the room and racing after him in a second. The fact that Robin was trying to catch him was a testament to how thrown off he had been by the way he was woken up. Wally couldn't help but feel a surge of triumph realizing that he had successfully tricked Robin into chasing _him_—Kid Flash. It was this thought that spurred him to lead Robin in circles around the hideout for longer than he had originally planned. It wasn't until he flew past Artemis and M'gann eating breakfast that he decided he'd had enough. He suddenly remembered that there were other people around, and Robin's sunglasses were off—something the younger boy probably hadn't realized in all the chaos. The image of Artemis watching them curiously as they ran circles around the kitchen table had caused a stab of possessiveness in Wally. He didn't like the idea of _everyone_ seeing Robin running around like a kid with his guard completely down.

He immediately sprinted back to Robin's room, screeching to a halt just short of the desk chair. Robin himself arrived a few seconds later, panting and holding his side. "I… am… going… to… _kill you_," he huffed out.

Wally laughed. "Only if you catch me," he sang and tossed Robin's sunglasses towards him.

Robin caught them easily. His expression was unreadable as he quickly slipped his sunglasses back on. "You are banned from my room. _Forever_. A slow and painful death awaits you the next time you set foot in this room."

"Slow and painful death, huh?"

"_Yes_. Involving lots of history books and Nova specials and… and other boring things… things that you hate." Wally only laughed again. "Just get out of my room, idiot."

Wally practically skipped out he was in such a good mood. And he only winced a little when Robin punched him in the arm.

O*O*O*O

Robin wriggled his toes uncomfortably, trying to bury his feet under the scalding top later of white sand to reach the cool, damp layer beneath. It was uncomfortably hot for him today, but the breeze was nice and if he stayed still long enough he could just barely feel the spray of the waves. He wouldn't be out here long anyway. His eyes scanned the beach and quickly found what they were searching for: a bright patch of red against the stretch of white sand. He reluctantly left his shaded haven to brave the glaring sun and made his way over.

He had to laugh as he approached Wally stretched out on the sand. The older boy's skin was nearly as red as his hair. "Dude, you look like a steamed lobster," Robin snickered as he squatted down next to his friend.

Wally pushed his sunglasses back and squinted up at him. "Huh?"

Robin poked him in the shoulder, the skin under his finger turning white for a second before darkening back to an angry red. Wally yelped and jerked arm away. "Hey!" He immediately forgot his anger as he stared at his very burned body.

"Aw, man, you gotta be kidding me! How do I get burned _every time_?"

"It's called being pale, KF. Get used to it."

"But _you're_ pale!" Wally protested. "And you just get tan when you're in the sun!"

"And _that's_ called poetic justice. It's the universe's way of righting all the wrongs you've done to me."

Wally poured a handful of sand on Robin's knees.

Robin sat back and brushed the sand off good-naturedly, knowing that he would have many days to extract his revenge. Wally's last bad sunburn had offered two full weeks of entertainment. "Seriously though, why do you spend so much time out here? You're gonna get skin cancer."

"Skin cancer's a myth," Wally said, waving his hand distractedly. He was now very focused on burying Robin's feet. "And even if it weren't, I'd rather die from skin cancer than waste away in the hideout. I'm sick of that place. It's so cold and depressing. I don't know how you can stand the Bat Cave for so long."

Robin frowned and wriggled his toes. Wally let out a sound of protest as the layer of sand he had carefully smoothed over the younger boy's feet cracked. "It's not like I _live_ in the Bat Cave. And it's not that cold in the hideout."

"It _is_ cold. Especially at night." Wally threw his legs over Robin's, trying to keep him still as he sculpted the sand over his feet. "Soaking up a lot of sun during the day is all that's keeping me alive."

The sun was making him extremely lazy, and Wally's voice rambling on about how he would totally live in a giant sand castle if he didn't get burnt so easily was practically lulling him to sleep. He liked how easy things were with Wally. Around other people he had to stay on his toes; he had to constantly think about who he was supposed to be—Robin or Dick. He didn't have to worry about that sort of thing with Wally. He was just _himself_. "You're like a crocodile, KF." Robin observed, enjoying the freedom of being able to say whatever random thought popped into his head.

"Yes exactly," Wally answered distractedly. "I'm very ferocious and I have strong teeth just like a croco—Wait _what_? Why am I like a crocodile?"

"You know—cold blooded and stuff. Have you ever seen on TV how crocodiles lay out in the sun for hours?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that's you. Except crocodiles don't get sunburned and use it as an excuse to wuss out on training."

"Dude, you try getting knocked flat by Black Canary 20 million times while your whole body is in agony. Not fun."

Robin wrinkled his nose as he felt a drop of sweat roll down his neck. Okay, now it was _too_ hot.

"Hey so does that mean I can be like that Egyptian god?" Wally suddenly asked.

"What?"

"You know, the one with the crocodile head? What's his name… Anubis?"

"Anubis is the jackal one."

"Oh yeah. Huh. It definitely had a _buh_ sound in it…"

"Sobek?"

"Yeah, that guy. I'm gonna be Sobek from now on—crocodile-headed god of the Nile."

"I'm not sure the Egyptians would be cool with you calling yourself by their god's name. You know, gods being sacred and all."

"Why not? It'd be super badass."

"Except that it would show how much of a dork you are for actually paying attention in elementary social studies."

"Dude, don't knock Sobek or he'll send a hoard of Nile crocodiles to attack you. Like _Mummy_ style—except with crocodiles instead of beetles."

"You know what? Forget it. You're so much of a dork already, I don't think it'll make a difference." Robin pulled his knees up—no easy feat considering his legs were buried under layers of sand as well as Wally's heavy frame—and stood.

"Aw, come on! You just ruined a masterpiece, man!"

"Dinosaur feet are never considered a masterpiece, KF. Not ever." He held out a hand to help Wally up. The older boy pulled a face as he took his hand, muttering about how hard it was to get the claws just right. "Look, how about we bury Supey again next time we're all at the beach?" Robin offered consolingly.

"Can I make him into a mermaid?" Wally asked hopefully.

"Of course you can." Robin gave him a firm pat on the back.

"Aaaagh! _Dude_!"

"Oops. Sorry, man, I forgot."

"You _did not_!"

"No, no, I swear! It was a perfectly innocent mistake!"

"Yeah, right! Get back here! Sobek demands punishment!"

"Aw, come on, Wally. Lighten up, would ya?"

"_Ow_! Would you _stop_!"


	3. It's a Luscious Mix of Words and Tricks

**Author's notes: This chapter's not as long or as interesting as the others, unfortunately :P M'gann is kinda a flat character, in my opinion, which makes her difficult to use. Oh well, hopefully everyone will enjoy reading this! Thank you for continued faves/reviews/etc.! :D  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice, DC characters, etc. The titles are from The Shins' song "Caring Is Creepy"**

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**Caring is Creepy**  
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Chapter 3: It's a Luscious Mix of Words and Tricks

"Robin, should I peel these?"

"Yeah, the potatoes too."

M'gann held a lumpy potato over the sink, gliding the peeler over slowly and carefully. It was slow going, but she wanted to make sure she got it right. "Thanks again for helping me, Robin. I'm still not used to cooking with earth ingredients."

"No problem." Robin's easy cheerfulness was catching. M'gann felt light and happy as the two of them worked together in the kitchen. "Superboy should really be learning this too. He can't expect you to cook all his meals."

"Oh, I don't mind. I love to cook."

"And you look good doing it too." Wally gave her a roguish wink as he leaned over to steal some veggies off of Robin's cutting board.

"Hey!" Robin brandished his knife at the older boy. "You're not allowed in here, remember? Out! Out! Out!"

Wally hopped up onto the island and proceeded to munch loudly on a stolen veggie, clearly not phased by his friend's threats.

M'gann watched the exchange with a half-smile. "Why's Wally not allowed in the kitchen?"

"Because I—"

"Am a _menace_ in the kitchen," Robin finished. _Thwack!_ He chopped down on a carrot with extra force. "Think natural disaster. Think apocalyptic proportion."

"You're just too anal about the way you cook."

"See, that's the problem with human garbage disposals." Robin spoke to M'gann behind his hand as if sharing a secret, but his voice had suddenly gotten very loud. "They'll eat anything, so they'll cook anything."

"I won't eat _anything_," Wally protested.

"Wally, you're eating _raw onions_."

A slice of onion paused halfway up to his lips. "Oh."

M'gann couldn't help but laugh. "We should let him stay, Robin. He can entertain us."

Robin snorted and turned back to his chopping. Wally offered M'gann another wink and began to swing his feet, knocking his heals loudly against the cabinet. Robin let out an exasperated sigh, and she giggled again. It was nice to be with just Wally and Robin for a change. Superboy wasn't exactly easy company, and most of the time she felt too nervous to be relaxed around him. With Artemis she was often jealous and competitive which wore her out quickly. Kaldur was kind enough but tended to lapse into thoughtful silence which almost made her more nervous than being with Superboy. But Wally and Robin were so comfortable around each other that it was easy to feel relaxed and included when she was with them.

M'gann shook her head and tuned back into her surroundings. Wally and Robin appeared to have started a very heated discussion about something.

"I'm telling you, no sequel is ever as good as the original," Wally was saying. "It's a law of nature."

"There's _gotta_ be at least one. I just have to think about it."

"No, there's not. You just like proving me wrong."

"I don't _like _to. It just so happens that you're wrong most of the time. So it's always safer to say the opposite of whatever you say."

"Well, you can't beat this one. Universal truth, man."

"No way."

Sometimes it seemed like Wally and Robin spoke their own secret language. It was difficult for M'gann to follow their conversations at times like these, although she liked to try to contribute. She found herself trying very hard to think of movie sequels she had seen. There was one they had just watched together recently. What was it called? Oh, right, it was—

"What about _Iron Man_?"

There was a long pause, and she was worried for a moment that she had said something incredibly stupid. Until Robin exclaimed gleefully, "_Oooooh_, good one. What d'you think of _that_, KF?"

"First one was still better."

"You're just saying that to prove your point. The second one was _way_ better."

"And _you're_ just saying that to prove _your_ point." Wally was suddenly right beside her, leaning on her shoulder. "M'gann, beautiful, settle this for us, would you?"

Wally's audacious flirting may have embarrassed her once, but she was noticing it less and less these days. Strange enough, things like Wally leaning against her or calling her cute nicknames or winking at her had begun to feel natural. "Well," M'gann began, thinking carefully. She really preferred not to pick sides, but since Wally was asking… "I guess I liked the second one since it was funnier…"

"_HA!_"

Wally sighed dramatically. "How could you betray me like this?"

She gave him an apologetic look. "Well, it was my honest opinion—"

They both jumped as Robin cursed loudly. The younger boy gripped his left index finger tightly, and M'gann could see red dripping down his wrist. Her stomach dropped. "Robin, you're bleeding!"

She grabbed the younger boy by the arm and pulled him over to the sink, turning the faucet on quickly. Robin gritted his teeth as she guided his hand under the water. But he seemed to relax after a moment.

"It's not that bad," he assured her. "Cuts on your hand always bleed more."

"Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"Nah, I'll just put a band-aid on it. It's not that deep."

"Wally, could you grab us some band-aids? They're in the medicine cabinet above the bathroom sink." When no response came, M'gann glanced over her shoulder. Wally was standing halfway between the island and the sink, staring at Robin's back. "Wally?"

He snapped back to attention when she called his name the second time. "Huh?"

"Could you go get some band—"

"Band-aids. Right. Bathroom. Cabinet. Got it," he said loudly and was gone in a blur.

He was back a few seconds later with the whole box. M'gann could feel the older boy's stare as she dried off Robin's hand and bandaged up the injury.

"Not too tight, is it?"

Robin flexed his fingers experimentally. "Nope. It's perfect. Thanks."

M'gann glanced at Wally. There was definitely _something_ in his expression, and she wished she could place it.

"I'm sorry you got hurt helping me, Robin."

"Don't worry about it. If you cook, it's bound to happen sooner or later. We should probably cut up some more carrots though. I think I bled on the last batch." He took a step towards the cutting board, but Wally had already zipped in front of him.

"Hey, Robin! Robin! Can I try?"

"Oh no. _No way_. You're not allowed to touch the food."

"Come on, Rob! I wanna learn! Pleeeeeeaaaaase?" Robin took a deep breath—most likely preparing to yell at him. Sensing the impending verbal abuse, Wally quickly turned his pleading eyes to M'gann. "M'gann?"

She felt herself soften. She couldn't help it. Wally could be so endearing sometimes. "It can't hurt to let him try…"

Robin sighed in defeat. "Fine. Just _be careful_, okay? Don't poison anyone." He pulled out a clean knife. "Here. Hold the knife like this…"

To his credit, Wally took his job very seriously. The veggies he chopped were pretty uneven and he had to put up with a lot of teasing from Robin, but he did get them done. And by the end M'gann had given up trying to figure out that strange expression that flitted across Wally's face whenever he glanced at the band-aid on Robin's finger. The two of them really did speak their own language.


	4. Go Meander in the Cold

**Author's notes: Alright, get ready for some angst, guys. That's right, this shit's about to get real... ********Also, thanks again for all the reviews! XD ** Never thought I'd get this much love :D  


**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice, DC characters, etc. The titles are from The Shins' song "Caring Is Creepy"**

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Caring is Creepy

Chapter 4: Go Meander in the Cold

Wally hated being underground. It was dark, smelly, cold, and the air was too thick; there was no _room_. Being underground made him feel like a fly trapped in a jar—zipping around and around like mad without ever actually going anywhere. It was one of the few things that could make him feel this anxious and jittery. Of course, the adrenaline rush he always got on a mission wasn't helping his nerves. He bounced up and down on his toes as Robin worked.

"Find anything yet?"

"_Shhhh!_"

"What? There's no one around."

"I know. I just don't wanna listen to you talk."

"_Hey!_"

"Wait. This is weird."

"What?" Wally looked over Robin's shoulder at the computer screen, one hand supporting himself on the younger boy's back as he leaned forward. He could feel Robin's heartbeat thrumming against his palm. "No way… Is that the _same_ Project Kr or…"

"It's gotta be a different one, right? This is a completely separate location."

"So what, they've got more of these Superboys running around? Like an army or something?"

"Maybe…"

"Wouldn't they have at least changed the name of the project or something? After we broke into Cadmus and stole Supey, you'd figure they would've upped the security."

"It definitely seems convenient."

"Could be a trap."

"We should probably check it out anyway."

"But if it _is_ a trap—"

"All the more reason for us to look into it. We could have a chance to see who's really behind all this."

"Yeah, but—"

"_Recon_ mission, KF. That means _collecting information_." Robin paused in his typing to look at Wally straight on. "Have you been reading Dan Brown again or something?"

"Huh? No."

"Then why are you being so paranoid?"

Wally wasn't sure how to answer that question. He knew he was acting strange. He wasn't exactly reckless but he could admit he had a habit of diving into the fray. He and Robin had always had that in common. But lately Wally had been feeling anxious, particularly around his young friend—ever since Robin had cut himself that day in the kitchen. It really shouldn't have bothered him so much. Fighting crime meant that they got knocked around on a daily basis. It was "part of the gig," as Robin liked to say. When you're 500 feet underground in some evil scientist's secret layer, you kind of expect to take a few hits. But it was different when you were dressed in civvies, just hanging out at home. You weren't supposed to get hurt when you were off duty.

"Let's just tell the others before we go running over there, okay?"

Robin simply shrugged in response and turned back to the computer screen.

_Guys, we may have found something_. Wally let the thought float in his mind, trusting M'gann's telepathic link to convey the message to the rest of the team.

_What is it?_ Kaldur's voice answered.

_Possibly an army of Supeys_.

_WHAT?_ Wally and Robin both winced and pressed their hands to their heads. Turns out that four people screaming in your head was even more painful than four people screaming next to you.

_OW. Let's not do that again, okay? Look, the system says there's another Project Kr here. But we're not sure if it's real—_

_Or a really obviously a trap_, Artemis cut in.

_See, that's why _I _said. But _Robin_—_

_But if there really _is _an army of Superman clones being created, the League would kind of like to know_, Robin argued._ Trap or no trap, we need to look into it._

_Alright, we're coming to back you up. Where are you?_ Kaldur asked.

Wally dropped to the ground, dragging Robin with him as a round of bullets sang overhead.

_No time. Meet us at the bottom floor—southwest corner._ Robin was already speeding off, black cloak slipping around the corner.

"Robin!" Wally shot off after him. "Wait!"

Fast as Wally was, he hated following Robin like this. He kept darting in and out of shadows, disappearing and reappearing again. Every time Wally would pause to locate the younger boy again, his shadow would be skipping off twenty paces ahead of him.

_Dude, where are we going? _Wally thought fiercely, trying to convey as much of his frustration as possible.

_Just follow me! _Came the teasing response. _Hurry up! Or do you want those goons with the guns to catch up to us?_

Wally growled and put on an extra burst of speed. _If you want me to _follow,_ then quit disappearing! Or at least _tell me where we're going_!_

Robin's laugh echoed off the walls around him. _What's the matter, Kid Flash? Can't keep up?_

_Don't turn this into a competition, Robin!_ _We gotta be together on this!_

_Then you'd better pick up the pace._

_Don't lose each other! _Kaldur's stern order cut in. _We don't know what we're up against._

_Yeah, tell that to Boy Won—_

"KF! _WALL_!" All Wally heard was noise. But before he could comprehend it, there was the impact. Wally was suddenly flat on his back and staring up at the ceiling. His head was pounding and the wind had been knocked out of him. He struggled for breath, thinking bitterly that Robin could have warned him a little sooner. Wait a sec, a wall meant that…

_It's a dead end!_ Wally shouted in his mind, hoping to warn the others before they ran right into the same trap. He rolled over and struggled to get his feet back under him, choking for air. Where was Robin?

The ground shook with the force of a dozen pairs of running feet. His head spun as the sound echoed around him.

_Kid! Robin! What's going on?_

He saw Robin drop down from the ceiling at the same time he heard shots fired.

Wally knew he was going to pass out. His head was light and there was a horrible dizzying blackness blurring the edges of his vision. But it took him a moment to realize it wasn't because of his encounter with the wall. This was a fresh pain—a sharp, stabbing pain in his stomach. He looked down and there was blood on his clothes. _My blood_, Kid Flash thought. _I got shot. Oh my god, I got shot. I got shot_. There was room for no other thought in his mind.

"WALLY!" Robin's scream was all he heard before the darkness took him.

O*O*O*O

"Can't this thing go any faster?"

"I-I'm sorry! I'm trying!" M'gann stammered.

"Robin! You're not helping!" Kaldur snapped. Inwardly though he was thinking the same thing. It was taking all his control not to yell at M'gann himself. He didn't know if they were going to make it. "Just focus on what you're doing, M'gann. We cannot afford to have your concentration slip."

M'gann nodded, refocusing fully on the controls of the bioship. Kaldur took a deep breath, trying to center himself. He looked around to see how the rest of the team was doing. Superboy was still working furiously on his communicator, trying every number he could think of to get in touch with the League. Artemis was on the phone with the hospital, her voice hostile and too loud. Robin was in the back with Wally, pressing a cloth to his friend's stomach, tense and coiled as if he were about to lash out. Kaldur turned to his own communicator, trying to contact the League as well. He knew it was probably pointless. Even if someone in the League were to finally respond, there was nothing they could do to help. What Wally needed was a hospital and _fast_.

A soft groan behind him had him whipping his head around again.

"Kaldur… Kaldur, I think he's _waking up_," Robin whispered, voice tight. Kaldur's stomach twisted and he prayed fervently that Robin was wrong. Wally couldn't wake up. Not now. Not to this.

There was another groan and Wally shifted slightly, his face twisting in pain. Kaldur punched buttons on his communicator furiously, trying to reach Flash for the thousandth time. "Come on. _Come on_." Where the hell was the League?

A loud cry of pain cut through his panicked thoughts, and Kaldur shuddered, afraid to look behind him again. He couldn't see Wally like this. He had to keep himself together—keep the team together.

"Wally, shhh! Wally, it's okay!" Robin was fighting to be heard over Wally's pain-filled cries. He was trying to sooth his injured friend but his voice sounded almost hysterical. "It's okay, it's okay, Wally! Shhh! Shhh!"

Kaldur swallowed and looked behind him, needing to know what was happening.

Half awake, Wally was twisting and struggling weakly against Robin's hold. Robin had pulled the older boy onto his lap and was trying to keep him still while one hand kept the cloth pressed to Wally's stomach. But Robin's voice was growing calmer and surer, and his hold was firm. He pressed his cheek to Wally's temple and spoke a constant stream of quiet, soothing words into his ear. "Shhh. It's okay, Wally. You're okay. You're gonna be fine."

Kaldur wished desperately to believe him, to have that hope to hold onto. But even as they arrived at the hospital, even as they handed Wally over to the doctors, he could not center himself. The reserve of calm that he always reached for to remain a strong foundation for the team was gone. He felt scattered and unfocused as he watched Wally lying on the white stretcher before being swarmed by doctors and nurses.

"Son…Son, you need to let go of your friend." Kaldur's eyes searched for the owner of the voice, trying to piece his environment together. It was a young doctor who was trying to pry Robin's fingers off of Wally's arm. Kaldur's body moved before he realized it. He was suddenly gripping Robin's shoulders tightly and pulling him away. "Robin, let the doctors take care of him."

Robin swallowed and nodded, drawing his hand back. Kaldur kept his hands on his teammate's shoulders as the medical staff rushed Wally away. Robin's eyes were lost, hand still half-reaching as he watched the stretcher disappear around the corner. Something in Robin's expression suddenly caused everything to sharpen in Kaldur's mind.

"What do you mean 'insurance information'?" Superboy's angry voice cut in. "Our teammate is injured—probably _dying_—because he was trying to protect you people and you're asking us about _insurance_?"

"Superboy, _please_," M'gann tried.

The hospital employee who had been speaking to Superboy was deathly white. "I—I'm sorry, Sir. We just need—"

"How can you even—"

"_Enough!_" Kaldur stepped between Superboy and the woman. "This is _not_ what we need right now." He tried to sound as admonishing as possible and figured he managed it pretty well since Superboy immediately turned his head away, his face calming from livid to sullen.

Kaldur turned towards the frightened employee. "Do you know who we are?" He imagined he was trying to bore holes into her eyes with his gaze, hoping desperately to make her understand.

For a moment it seemed as though she were frozen with fear, but then she gave a tiny nod.

"Then you know why we cannot give you the information you need."

"But—"

"When the League arrives—"

"Flash will be here in a few minutes," Artemis spoke up, hitting the disconnect button on her communicator. "I just spoke with him."

Kaldur gave a quick nod of thanks. "When Flash arrives," he continued, "he will provide you with an alias you can use for his apprentice. But that is all the information we can give you. Do you understand?"

The woman nodded again, then rushed off, white shoes squeaking on the polished floor as she hurried away.

"Miss Martian, Superboy, Artemis," Kaldur said, turning back towards his team. They all stood straighter, dying for orders. "I need you to stay here. Wait for any news from the doctors. And make sure you update Flash when he gets here. Robin—" The youngest member of the team did not respond. He stood with his arms limp at his sides, smears of blood on his hands and clothes. Kaldur swallowed, trying not to think about whose blood it was.

"Let's get you cleaned up." Kaldur grabbed Robin's wrist and pulled him down the hall towards the bathroom. Robin simply followed compliantly.


	5. Walk the Cramps Off

**Author's notes: Next chapter! Hope this part didn't come out too rushed... It was the most fun to write :) Beware: Large amounts of character introspection ahead. And, as usual, lots of love to everyone who reviewed and faved! :DDD  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice, DC characters, etc. The titles are from The Shins' song "Caring Is Creepy"**

* * *

Caring is Creepy

Chapter 5: Walk the Cramps Off

A hospital? The white walls and sterile smell had immediately allowed Wally to place himself, but he could not for the life of him figure out why he was there.

"Looks like someone's finally up."

Wally smiled weakly as his Uncle Barry's face swam into view. "How ya feeling, kid?"

"_Amazing_," Wally croaked out. "Wish I could do this all the time."

"I think once was quite enough." Kaldur was suddenly leaning over his bed as well.

"You really scared us, Wally." M'gann's sweet, concerned expression made Wally's smile widen.

He even felt a little grateful to see Superboy standing nearby. And he very graciously ignored Artemis' snarky comment about how he looked "rested."

"Do you remember what happened?" Barry asked.

As Wally reached for his memories, his head began to pound and his vision swam. "Give me a sec." He pressed his palms to his eyes, and he felt better now that he was blocking out those bright lights. He allowed his memories to wash over him slowly: Running, pain, the bioship, Robin's voice and his hands holding him, people crowding around him…

"I got shot." Wally swallowed and opened his eyes to look at everyone surrounding his bed. "I'm gonna be okay, right?"

Barry gave a laugh that sounded more relieved than amused. "Yeah, you're gonna be okay. Thanks to your teammates."

Wally suddenly realized what had been nagging at the back of his mind since he woke up. "Where's Robin?"

Nearly everyone's eyes dropped to the ground. Superboy's was the only gaze that didn't; it went automatically to Kaldur as often happened when he was unsure of how to react to something. Wally followed Superboy's lead and looked towards his leader expectantly.

Kaldur shifted his weight and his eyes flicked away for a moment. "He is in the waiting room. I believe he is having difficulties coping with all that has happened…"

"Why—" But Wally suddenly remembered why. That's right. It was Robin's fault he got shot. Wally had _told_ him not to run off alone—that they needed to stick together. But Robin had rushed ahead anyway, teasing him and laughing his head off like it was all some big joke. Robin had been stupid, and Wally was the one who had suffered for it. By all rights the younger boy should've come crawling to Wally on his knees, begging for forgiveness. But it looked like the kid wasn't even going to face him. What a coward.

The logical side of Wally told him that he shouldn't be mad at his younger teammate. After all, Robin had only been acting as they always had together. But it was different this time. This time one of them had actually gotten hurt.

"I am sure he will come to see you later," Kaldur said without much conviction.

Wally crossed his arms and huffed. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

O*O*O*O

Wally still hadn't cooled off by the time Robin walked into his room. Flipping channels for the last half hour and finding _nothing_ good on had not improved his mood. So as Robin stood in the doorway—head bowed, arms stiff at his side, no greeting whatsoever—Wally didn't feel any sympathy. In fact, he felt even _angrier_ at his friend's awkward silence.

"Thank god you're here, Boy Wonder!" Wally said in the most exaggerated, sarcastic manner he could manage. "Something terrible has happened to all the good TV channels!"

Robin did not move or say anything. Wally gritted his teeth at the silence, hating how Robin could make him feel ignored and unimportant even now. "What? Not going to say anything?" he bit out. "Or maybe you just want to _race_, or play a game, or jump around and do your stupid little gymnastics while someone shoots at me again," he snarled. "That last one sounds _fun_."

Still no response.

Well, _fine_. If that's how Robin wanted to play it… He kept his mouth firmly shut, mashing buttons on the remote savagely. He refused to be the first one to break the silence.

Robin stood still in the doorway, not even looking at his friend.

But despite his annoyance, Wally found couldn't keep this up. He was too tired for this stupid game. "Look, would you _sit down_ or something?" he snapped. "You look like an idiot just standing there." Really all he wanted was for Robin to move or do _something_.

And Robin did move. It was as if he had been waiting for those magic words to release him from a spell. He walked very slowly, but he did not stop as he made his way towards Wally. Wally's anger flared up again when Robin chose not to use the chair but to sit on _his _bed. He then proceeded to _lie down_. Right, because hospital beds were _so big_ and there was _so much _room Wally wasn't using. He kept the sarcastic thought to himself and simply moved away from the younger boy, trying to make it as obvious as possible that he was unhappy with the situation.

Robin didn't seem to mind. He lay carefully on his side, not touching Wally at all. After a few moments of angry silence on Wally's end, he felt Robin's fingers brush against his arm lightly. It still wasn't an apology, and the light touch simply annoyed Wally further. He sighed loudly, smashing a button with all the force he could manage. Robin's hand jerked back as if he had been burned. That simple movement caught Wally's attention. There was something wounded and broken in the action that he had not seen in Robin before.

Curiosity winning over anger, Wally found himself working to make sense of the younger boy's actions. He remembered how simple their friendship had once been—straightforward competition. It had been so easy when they were little. But things were different now. It wasn't just because they were growing up; they were on a real team now, fighting real crime. There was no Flash to pick up the pieces and no Batman to jump in at the last minute to save the day. They had to learn to look out for each other. And that meant trusting each other. That meant _being_ trustworthy. He had never considered that they had an issue with that sort of thing—they had always gotten along so well as friends. But now that he thought about it, he didn't really trust Robin as a teammate. He didn't trust Robin to have his back while he was fighting or to not run off and disappear when he needed him. This was a new sort of trust and it was completely different from friendship. Wally was beginning to realize these things slowly, but he had to wonder about Robin.

_He's only thirteen_. Somehow the fact that Robin was younger than him was very significant now. He felt his whole perspective shift as he looked down at Robin's little form. Did Robin really know what it meant to be on a team? Did he know that it was different from the mentor-protégé relationship he had with Batman or the easy friendship he enjoyed with Wally? Wally definitely had his doubts, especially after this latest mission. But Robin was here, wasn't he? And even if he didn't say it, he was obviously sorry and miserable and begging for forgiveness.

Wally reached out and touched Robin's hair lightly.

Robin's hand suddenly clamped down on Wally's arm, and he pressed his face against the older boy's shoulder. The hard plastic of sunglasses dug into his arm, and Wally felt a sudden surge of affection for his teammate.

"It's okay, Rob," he said, trying to sound calmer and quieter. Memories of Robin soothing him throughout that awful ride on the bioship floated around in his mind, and he tried to mimic the younger boy's comforting voice from that time. "I'm fine. So you don't have to worry any more, okay?"

Robin made a sound that was like a sob and a laugh, and he pressed closer to Wally.

Wally gripped the hand on his arm tightly, aware of how small it was under his own.


	6. On Rocks I Dreamt of Where We'd Stepped

**Author's notes: Last chapter! D: Just wanted to say a final thanks to my readers and reviewers! Also special thanks to Nelohra, who always asks me amazing thought-provoking questions and lets me rant about all the random thoughts/ideas I have for my stories :DDD  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice, DC characters, etc. The titles are from The Shins' song "Caring Is Creepy"**

* * *

Caring is Creepy

Chapter 6: On Rocks I Dreamt of Where We'd Stepped

Kaldur walked into Wally's room to find him exactly as he had left him an hour ago—flipping channels with a bored expression on his face. This was nothing strange. Wally had that odd sort of energy that was both hyperactive and intensely focused at the same time. It allowed him to do seemingly boring useless things like play video games for hours on end or do 10 giant puzzles all in a row or read Stephen King's entire collection in a week before he would have to run laps around the hideout because he couldn't keep still for two seconds. Yes, channel-surfing Wally was a very familiar Wally. What struck him as odd was the fact that Robin was curled up on the bed next to him. Affectionate Robin was a Robin he had never seen or expected to see in his whole life. But there he was, head on Wally's shoulder and arm tucked against the older boy's side as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Wally's eyes shifted over to Kaldur, and he brought a finger to his lips. Robin's sunglasses completely covered his eyes, but from his relaxed form and slow, even breathing Kaldur knew him to be asleep. Kaldur gestured towards his sunglasses, looking at Wally questioningly. Wally shrugged. "I didn't think he'd want me to take them off," he explained. The sound of his voice caused Robin to shift in his sleep, arm reaching out to tighten around Wally's middle. Wally winced, and Kaldur immediately reached over to move the younger boy's arm away from his injury.

Wally shook his head. "It's okay."

"We will have to wake him soon," Kaldur reasoned. "Visiting hours are almost over. That is why I came to get him."

"It's cool if he stays. The nurse came in a few minutes ago and practically melted when she saw him. No way she'd kick him out." Wally brushed Robin's bangs back lightly. Kaldur was more than a little surprised by the gentle gesture. Wally's affection was generally limited to trip-you-and-steal-your-food-because-we're-such-good-friends type of interactions.

Kaldur wrote it off as just another strange event on a long list of weird things that had happened in the past 48 hours. "Well, as long as you do not mind." He slowly lowered himself into the chair next to Wally's bed, trying to decide how to broach the sensitive topic. "Wally. I need to tell you something. About Robin."

Wally must have seen something in his expression, because he immediately tossed the remote aside and fixed him with a curious, attentive gaze.

"There is a sign-in sheet at the front desk for visitors," Kaldur began, and Wally raised his eyebrows, clearly not understand where this was going. "Robin…. I noticed that he wrote a name on the sheet that I had never heard before…"

"What, like an alias? So?"

"No, not an alias. I assumed it was at first, but I was curious so I looked into it… Wally, it is real."

"_What_?"

"Robin used his real name—Dick Grayson. He—"

"Wait, wait, wait. That doesn't make sense. I mean, did you forget the part where Batman _ordered_ him not to tell anyone his real name? Robin doesn't do the whole disobeying orders thing."

"Wally, I am sure. Once I had the name… There is no shortage of information out there on him. He appears to be well known… For several reasons. Everything that I found fits."

"But, I still don't see why he would…" Wally trailed off.

Kaldur hesitated. It was strange spreading Robin's life around like this, especially with the younger boy asleep right next to them. Still, he definitely thought that Wally should know. He pulled out a wad of folded papers from his back pocket and held it out to his friend.

"This is some of what I found."

Wally stared down at the folded pieces as if he had never seen paper in his whole life.

"I do not know if it will change anything, but… Maybe it will shed some light on why Robin has kept some things secret from us."

At last, Wally's hand closed over the papers. He looked resigned and thoughtful now, as if the mere presence of possible evidence was enough to convince him.

"Do you…" He swallowed. "Do you think he did it on purpose?"

Kaldur nodded. He was sure of that at least, even if he was unclear on Robin's motivations.

The paper crinkled as Wally's grip tightened. "We never asked him."

"I guess… he just wanted us to know." Kaldur suddenly found himself _very_ uncomfortable with the silence. He was unused to the open display of weighty emotions on Wally's face, and he felt he was encroaching on something very personal.

"You should get some rest," he ordered, standing. "You can tell Robin I will be back to pick him up in the morning."

Lost in thought, Wally barely murmured a thanks as the door snicked shut. He fingered the papers in his hands, wondering what sort of truth they might reveal. When he had first learned that Robin's real name was a complete secret, he had imagined up all sorts of unspeakable things the younger boy might be hiding. On the run from the mob had been his favorite story at first. But when he had witnessed Robin's inhuman acrobatics, he was positive the boy was an experiment that had broken out of a mad scientist's laboratory.

Such stories had long since faded away to be replaced by day-to-day Robin—unusual only for being one of the few normal human beings in a group of superhuman heroes; extraordinary in his ordinariness. Wally didn't think anything written on these papers could change that.

Robin was strangely still against him. His breathing was shallow, and Wally could feel his quick heartbeat against his side.

Wally reached over and slipped the papers into the pocket of the younger boy's jeans. "I don't think I could stand to have my government super-soldier theory ruined," he said gravely. "The disappointment could kill me."

Robin said nothing. Since the younger boy appeared determined to keep up the pretense of sleeping, Wally resignedly settled back onto his pillow to get some rest himself. He was exhausted just from the couple of hours he had been awake, and despite the dull ache from his injury, he knew sleep would come easily to him. But as he began to drift off, he felt Robin sit up and lean over him. He opened his eyes just in time to see Robin ducking his head to lie back down. Having the distinct impression that the younger boy had set something down on the nightstand, he glanced over. A pair of sunglasses stared back at him, strangely empty without the animated face lurking behind them.

Robin's fingers curled into the material of his shirt, prompting Wally to look down at the uncovered face.

Dick Grayson, huh? Well, at least he didn't feel so bad about being named Wally now.


End file.
